Chapter 109: Run for Your Lives

By the seventh step, Brother Wu had already reached Xiao Yang, his broadsword raised high.

"Here it comes!"
"The Seven-Step Fatal Slash!"
The members of the Iron Wolf Mercenary Group cheered with excitement, while Brother Wu himself wore a cruel smirk.

*Clang!*

As the blade was about to descend, Xiao Yang finally moved, striking out with lightning speed.

*Thump!*

He gripped the broadsword with brutal force. The blade, which had been descending at high speed, came to a dead halt in mid-air. Brother Wu froze, and the rest of the Iron Wolf mercenaries stared in disbelief. A sword moving at such velocity had been caught by a single hand.

"Feeling cocky, are you?" Xiao Yang slowly lifted his head.

Brother Wu shuddered, gritting his teeth as he tried to pull his weapon back, but no matter how hard he pulled, the blade remained immovable, as if his fingers and the steel had fused together.

"You..." Brother Wu looked at Xiao Yang in horror.
"You want to cut me down? Too bad you've run out of chances."

Xiao Yang smiled, then suddenly tightened his grip.

*Snap!*

Under his fingers, the broadsword shattered into fragments and fell to the ground. The sight left the other members of the Iron Wolf Mercenary Group wide-eyed and paralyzed with shock. He had crushed a blade of tempered steel with his bare hands, without even using internal energy.

A wave of panic rippled through the Iron Wolf group. Xiao Yang, uninterested in words, lashed out with a kick. Brother Wu, still stunned, was unable to react.

*Thump!*

The kick landed squarely.

*Pfft!*

Brother Wu coughed up a spray of blood. Lang Liqing reacted quickly, rushing forward to catch him, but the moment he made contact, he realized things were far worse than he had imagined. The force sent both of them flying back over ten feet. Once they came to a stop, Lang Liqing turned his companion over to check his injuries. Seeing the deep, caved-in chest, he gasped—he knew that Old Wu was beyond saving.

"Damn you! How dare you strike with such cruelty!"

A monstrous murderous intent erupted in his eyes. Old Wu was his childhood friend from the same village; they had set out together, and the creation of their mercenary group owed much to his help. Consumed by rage at the death of his sworn brother, he stood up and began to walk toward Xiao Yang.

"Oh no, Brother Lang’s eyes have turned red. He’s going berserk!" one of the mercenaries noticed the change. Lang Liqing’s eyes were now blood-red, and a bone-chilling aura of slaughter radiated from his body, forcing Xiao Yang to take a closer look.

"Run! Or we’ll be collateral damage!" The veterans of the Iron Wolf group quickly dragged the curious newcomers away.

"You killed him. You deserve to die," Lang Liqing said coldly. As he spoke, his body began to transform. His long hair grew rapidly, his teeth elongated, and thick fur sprouted all over his body. Within a few breaths, Lang Liqing’s appearance had changed drastically; he looked like a wolf walking on its hind legs.

The sight reminded Xiao Yang of a legend: the legend of the werewolf.

"Hoo!" Lang Liqing exhaled a foul breath and glared at Xiao Yang. "I will chew your bones to pieces, bit by bit, and torture you to death." A sinister grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"What species are you?" Xiao Yang asked, genuinely puzzled. He had never heard of werewolves in this world. "Never mind, forget I asked."

Thinking it better to check, Xiao Yang scanned him.

Name: Lang Liqing
Cultivation: Seventh-Level Great Martial Master
Constitution: Demon Wolf Body (Significantly enhances physical attributes after transformation)
Description: A human with a special constitution.

*A special constitution?* Xiao Yang noted the term, though he couldn't afford to be distracted; the pressure radiating from his opponent was immense.

"It’s time to unveil the techniques of the Red Sun King."

He hadn't used the Flame Palm he’d obtained in the Myriad Insect Cave, and this was the perfect chance to test its power. Thanks to Xiao Yang’s talent, the technique had evolved slightly during his training.

Name: Nirvana Great Flame Palm
Quality: Peak Heaven Grade
Description: Manifests a flame palm to strike the enemy.

Without even trying, his talent had pushed the martial technique to the Heaven grade. It would likely transcend the Heaven grade before long.

"Avenge my brother!" Lang Liqing roared and lunged at Xiao Yang, his hands glowing with crimson internal energy.

"Nirvana Great Flame Palm!"

Xiao Yang spoke calmly, though his internal energy began to drain at an alarming rate. He raised his hand and struck out. He felt his body instantly hollowed out as a ten-foot-tall flame palm materialized.

Lang Liqing, mid-charge, finally realized the danger. "A Martial Marquis expert!" was all he could manage before the flame palm engulfed him. His fur ignited instantly, turning him into a human torch. He didn't even have time to scream; he didn't last a single breath before being reduced to a pile of ash.

Xiao Yang reached up to rub his head, feeling a bit lightheaded. He had been so worried about failing to kill the opponent that he had poured out all his energy. It seemed he had been a bit extravagant—he hadn't even needed to pay for the cremation, as the man had been reduced to ash on the spot.

"Big Brother is dead..." The remaining members of the Iron Wolf group, having stopped to watch, stood frozen in disbelief. A seventh-level Great Martial Master had been reduced to ash in an instant. Fear gripped them all.

"Run! Run!" Someone shouted, and the rest finally snapped out of their stupor. They were now certain that this man had also been the one to slaughter the Rock Hyenas.

Xiao Yang noticed them fleeing, but he didn't chase. It wasn't that he wanted to show mercy, but he was currently too drained—this was the first time he had completely exhausted his internal energy.

"That guy isn't chasing! Let's go!" a mercenary said, relieved to see Xiao Yang motionless.

Just then, Xiao Yang’s voice rang out.

"Big Cat! How much longer do you plan on watching?"

The Profound Ice White Tiger, who had been enjoying the show, had no choice but to step out, fearing further threats from Xiao Yang.

"You really enjoyed watching my prey get picked off," Xiao Yang complained as the tiger sauntered over.

The Profound Ice White Tiger played dumb. "I just fell asleep. I had no idea such a big thing had happened," it said, feigning confusion.